This flavorful and juicy Cajun hen recipe is ready with boneless hen thighs seasoned with a daring home made spice rub, pan-seared, and completed within the oven. Served with sautéed cauliflower rice, it’s certainly one of my greatest low-carb dinners.
In search of one other flavor-packed hen dinner? Attempt my sweet-savory Bourbon hen recipe that follows the same weeknight-friendly cooking technique.
Louisiana’s Cajun tradition is understood for its super-flavorful delicacies and daring spices. You would possibly acknowledge it from recipes like jambalaya and gumbo. Immediately, we’re packing these flavors right into a home made Cajun spice rub and slathering it onto juicy bone-in hen thighs to make scrumptious, simple, spicy Cajun hen. I rapidly sear the thighs first to crisp the surface, and end them off within the oven to seal within the juices.
Whereas the hen bakes, sauté a aspect of cauliflower rice within the pan drippings leftover within the skillet. Dinner is prepared in below an hour, and also you gained’t imagine the quantity of taste in your plate!
Right here’s Why You Have to Make This Cajun Hen
- Fast. It is a nice recipe for busy weekdays because it’s fast and straightforward to arrange the hen and toss it within the oven.
- Daring Cajun flavors. Impressed by Louisiana cooking, this hen is packed stuffed with taste from home made Cajun seasoning. Make it with easy herbs and spices already within the pantry!
- Eating regimen-friendly. This Cajun hen thigh recipe is gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly.
- Versatile. Serve your Cajun hen with cauliflower rice or common rice. Or, debone and shred or chop the hen so as to add to pasta, tacos, and extra scrumptious meals.
What Minimize of Hen Ought to I Use?
I take advantage of bone-in, skinless hen thighs for this recipe, however boneless thighs and hen breasts are an incredible selection, too. Hen thighs and bone-in hen can have extra fats, leading to moist and juicy hen. Hen breasts are leaner, and can take much less time to cook dinner.
In case you’re utilizing the latter, I like to recommend following my baked hen breasts recipe and changing the seasoning with Cajun spice.
Cajun Rub Substances
Like my delicate hen seasoning and spicy Jamaican jerk seasoning blends, this Cajun spice rub may be very simple to make from scratch and, correctly saved, retains within the pantry for months. These are the elements you’ll want. You’ll discover the precise quantities for every spice within the recipe card under.
- Paprika – Candy or smoked paprika, relying on the flavour you’re after.
- Aromatics – Garlic powder and onion powder. You possibly can change one powder with the opposite if wanted, since they’re fairly related. You’ll additionally want salt and pepper for this seasoning recipe.
- Herbs – Dried oregano and thyme.
- Warmth – Cayenne pepper offers the rub a pleasant, spicy kick. You possibly can adapt the quantity of cayenne to style, or omit it should you’re delicate to spice.
Make a Huge Batch
You should utilize this home made Cajun rub on extra than simply hen! Double or triple the elements and hold a jar available to make use of with seafood, like grilled tilapia, or use it to season a sheet pan shrimp boil.
Cajun spice can be well-known for blackening recipes, like blackened mahi mahi and grilled blackened hen, the place meat is buttered, seasoned, and cooked at excessive temperatures to create a “blackened” crust on the surface. Give it a strive should you love the flavors on this Cajun hen!
Incessantly Requested Questions
Cajun recipes get their taste from Cajun seasoning, a spicy, smoky, savory mix that features cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic, and thyme.
Sure, conventional Cajun seasoning is pretty sizzling, since these recipes typically have a chili pepper base. My seasoning recipe makes use of paprika as a base as an alternative, for a milder taste, with cayenne added for warmth.
Whether or not you utilize hen breasts or thighs, use a meat thermometer to register the inner temperature on the thickest a part of the hen. Hen is finished when the temperature hits 165ºF.
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Put together to bake. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Calmly grease a roasting pan with cooking spray and put aside.
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Warmth oil in a skillet. Warmth 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a big skillet over medium-high warmth.
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Make the Cajun rub. In a small mixing bowl, mix paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, contemporary floor pepper, and cayenne pepper.
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Season the hen. Pat the hen thighs dry with paper towels. Spray the thighs with cooking spray, after which rub the Cajun seasoning throughout.
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Pan-sear the hen. Sear thighs within the sizzling oil for two minutes per aspect, or till simply browned.
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Bake. Switch hen thighs to the beforehand ready roasting pan and cook dinner for 25 to half-hour, flipping the hen over within the final 10 minutes of cooking. Hen thighs are finished when the inner temperature registers at 165ºF. Please use a meat thermometer to examine for doneness.
Put together the Cauliflower Rice
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Add oil to the skillet. Within the meantime, stir 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil into the skillet the place you seared the hen. Warmth the pan over medium-high warmth. Please be aware: If there’s sufficient drippings leftover within the skillet, chances are you’ll not want so as to add any vegetable oil.
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Sauté. Add the cauliflower rice to the warmed oil and cook dinner for 3 to 4 minutes, or till tender, stirring ceaselessly.
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Serve. Take away thighs from oven, garnish with sliced inexperienced onions, and serve with cauliflower rice.
- Refrigerate hen thighs inside two hours of cooking. Make it possible for they’re utterly cooled.
- Retailer hen in hermetic containers and refrigerate for as much as 4 days.
Freezing Directions
- Switch utterly cooled hen thighs to an hermetic container OR freezer luggage.
- Label the bag or container with the identify and date, and place it within the freezer for as much as 3 months.
Serving: 5ounces | Energy: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 20g | Fats: 7g | Saturated Fats: 3g | Ldl cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 648mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 420IU | Vitamin C: 64.3mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1.8mg
Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might differ in accordance with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
The way to Make Cajun Hen
You possibly can have really nice hen thighs each single time; all you want is 10 minutes of hands-on prep. Since we’re making the Cajun seasoning from scratch, you don’t need to go together with the quantities listed. You possibly can (and will) alter to your personal style!
- Begin by mixing the Cajun seasoning. In a small bowl, whisk collectively the paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Season the hen thighs. Rub the Cajun spice throughout every bone-in, skinless hen thigh.
- Pan-sear the hen. Afterward, sear the thighs in a sizzling skillet for two minutes per aspect, or till browned.
- Bake. Switch the hen to a roasting pan and proceed to cook dinner for 25 to half-hour in a 425ºF oven. Flip the hen within the final ten minutes of cooking.
- Prepare dinner the cauliflower rice. Within the meantime, toss some riced cauliflower within the skillet with the leftover drippings. Sauté for 4 minutes, or till tender.
- Serve. Lastly, take away the hen thighs from the oven. Garnish the hen with inexperienced onions and serve it along with your ready cauliflower rice. Get pleasure from!
Air Fryer Methodology
To make this spicy Cajun hen within the air fryer as an alternative, observe the instructions for my air fryer hen thighs. Put together the Cajun hen thighs as directed, and cook dinner at 400ºF for about 20 minutes, flipping the hen midway by means of. Alternatively, you possibly can cook dinner your hen thighs on the grill or make stovetop hen thighs.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Hen
- Refrigerate. Retailer the leftover Cajun hen individually from the cauliflower rice. Refrigerate the hen inside 2 hours of cooking, and hold it hermetic within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- Reheat. Heat the hen within the oven, microwave, or within the air fryer if in case you have one.
- Freeze. You possibly can freeze the baked, cooled Cajun hen thighs for as much as 3 months in a labeled freezer bag or container. Thaw the hen within the fridge earlier than reheating.
